A Bouquet of Stock
by flambemyheart
Summary: They've become friends, rivals, and housemates in the aftermath of the war. A little push from nosy friends creates something that nobody should've been surprised by. HG/DM AU
1. Cozy

**_Disclaimer: I obviously don't own this universe. Or dwell in it. Although that would actually be both epic and scary._  
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**A/N: Hello. My first fanfic, so if there is anything that needs to be improved, do feel free to tell me. This will be, at the very least, a two-shot, although it might become a multichaptered story eventually.**

He was looking at her again. She stirred uncomfortably. This boy - man, really - did strange things to her insides. He was sitting in what used to be "her" chair, curled up under a delightfully fluffy green blanket - since his (reluctant) induction into the order, he has slowly usurped some of her meager comforts in this dour house.

She couldn't believe it. Her wand began tapping nervously on the back of what used to be Sirius's favorite armchair.

"Granger." he drawled slowly, stretching her name out, as though tasting the two syllables. Gran-ger.

She hated how she was simultaneously aroused and creeped out by his voice, low and silky.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" She snapped out. A confrontation was the last thing on her mind. After the past few years, all she wanted was to curl into her armchair with a book and some cocoa.

He lowered his voice to a pitch somewhere between a whisper and a sulk, "Stop that infernal tapping. I have a headache."

She smiled, a wide, predatory smile, and said, in a voice calculated to reach the echoing reaches of his aching head, "Hangover, Draco?"

He glared at her. She smirked, a spot on rendition of his own._ "She must have worked hard on that." _He mused briefly for a moment, before massaging his temples lightly and reaching for his book and drink. Her voice rang out again, "Mulled wine should help a little."

"I was trying to get _rid _of the hangover, not postpone it till tomorrow, Granger." he snapped back.

"Right."

He huffed and attempted to curl up even further under his fluffy blanket, but found himself almost stuck in the chair. Hermione grinned to herself privately, before gathering a light pink blanket, her cocoa, and a copy of Shakespeare's Sonnets.

She plumped herself down on the rug in front of the fireplace - which was really quite nice - before swathing herself in the blanket and opening up her book.

Just as she was taking a sip of her cocoa, there was a knocking at the library door. "Come on in, Harry." She murmured.

Instead of one unruly mop of black hair, there were three - a tawny grey head and a dark brown one joined the black one.

"Professor Lupin? And Neville?" Hermione exclaimed. The new arrivals smiled gently. Neville said, "I have a meeting with Harry in a few, and Professor Lupin is…? I don't know what he's doing."

Lupin smirked a little, and said, "Well, I was hoping to investigate the library for some research, but you seem so cozy, I hate to disturb."

"Oh, don't worry, Professor, you're more than welcome to share our space." Draco said coolly. Hermione glanced at him with surprise, but shrugged it off. Lupin and Harry entered the room completely, Harry rummaging about in a random cabinet while Lupin appropriated the desk and chair at the back of the room.

Harry began muttering random things under his breath, " -tineas audio, erm, coeur unitas, uh -"

Hermione began nestling back into her blanket as Lupin began rustling papers and collecting books. She was well on her way to blocking out the rest of the world when a sudden burst of music rose from the cabinet Harry had been fiddling with.

"Harry!"

"What? You need holiday music this time of year while you read. It's practically mandatory."

Draco raised his pale grey eyes to meet Hermione's and said dryly, "Lovely. The one room I come to for peace destroyed by maudlin commercial sentiment."

Professor Lupin had to hide his snickers behind a paper as Hermione almost choked on her laughter.

Harry mock-scowled in a imitation of Kreacher, his hands on his hips, "I'll thank you to see it as Christmas cheer, young Master Malfoy."

Hermione giggled softly, and smiled at Neville, who winked, waved, and vanished into the depths of the house before returning to her book.

She almost didn't notice Draco slip from the depths of his - her - chair and ensconce himself on the rug as well.


	2. Sniping

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Durr**

_A/N: So, I finished it. It's a little short, but if I'd let it go on much longer, it would've been awkward and unwieldy. Sorry. Thanks for reviewing, . _

When Hermione did notice it, she didn't really pay much mind at first. But then the Shakespeare started to getting to her. She was reading, lost in the webs of tender fancies and ardor of old, insulated from everything around.

**_And yet, by Heaven, I think my love as rare as any, she belied beyond false compare._**

She sighed heavily, briefly indulging in a woefully romantic fantasy. The library was peaceful, unbroken by conversations. Apparently, though, the quiet was not to be.

"Granger."

"Yes, Draco?" He threw his blanket off slightly, dragging himself a little closer to where she sat. "Whatcha reading?"

She raised an eyebrow. He wanted to know what she was reading? _Why_, for Merlin's sake? It occurred to Hermione, however briefly, that he was being very casual today, moving a whole lot closer, _touching her even_, and maybe Harry had spiked his drink in the name of Christmas fellowship.

"Uh, I just finished reading Sonnet 130." She almost stammered. Draco grinned. "I'm reading '696 Jinxes, Hexes, and Spells for the Saucy Sorcerer'."

She barked in laughter, startling even herself in her loudness. "The Saucy Sorcerer, Draco? Really?" He smirked. "Yes, Granger, really." Lupin muttered something about wizard fetishes with alliteration.

Draco snickered at that before Hermione broke in again, her curiosity getting the best of her. "What on earth is in there?" He smirked lasciviously, attempting to get a rise out of her. She rolled her eyes.

He then decided to in for the shock factor.

"Bondage spells."

Behind them, Lupin was roaring with laughter as Hermione Granger choked on her hot chocolate.

She attempted to calm herself. "Real mature, Malfoy." He shot another smirk at her before attempting to get another dig. "Wanna a demo? I ll be gentle, I promise." He grinned, waggling his eyebrows ridiculously. She smothered a laugh before coolly tossing out a rejoinder. "No, I prefer to be on top." Lupin gasped before collapsing into hilarity again.  
>Draco couldn't help himself. His mouth gaped open and shut like a fish, one of the reasons being that he had just had a flash of just that. Hermione grinned and left, presumably to go put her cocoa away.<p>

Damningly provocative, that minx was.

Behind him, Lupin cleared his throat, apparently recovered from his violent fit of laughter. He turned and glared at him, which did nothing to remove the gleam in Lupin's eyes. Draco lifted his book, contemplated the worth of throwing it at Lupin and then decided he really didn't care all that much. He stood up to put it away, just as Lupin spoke.

"As amusing as it is to watch you two battle it out, I really don't think the attraction will go away. If anything, you're getting closer." Lupin then proceeded to grab another book off of a pile and flip through it, marking certain areas.

Draco stared at him, and then left to go find Granger.


	3. Determination

**Disclaimer: Obviously, I own this. *rolls eyes***

She was staring at nothing, absent-mindedly stroking a satin black ribbon that had somehow gotten into the kitchen.

"Granger."

"What?" She snapped in earnest now, a little irritated at the interruption of her quiet time.

"What are you doing?"

She shrugged, her shoulders rounding briefly in a show of nonchalance, before answering.

"Nothing, I guess."

He shot a quizzical glance at her. Time for more banter, perhaps?

"How can you guess that you're doing nothing? Surely, Granger, you know something of what your body is doing at the very least."

She glared at him before smoothing her face into blankness and stating, with a sort of a purr, "Oh I know what my body is doing. But surely you have something more important to tend to, Draco?"

He swallowed. His name was starting to sound a little too provocative in her mouth. He attempted to calm himself, and when he came back to the present, she was looking at him expectantly.  
>"What?"<p>

She huffed, a tiny sign that he had probably won the - well, whatever it was, he had won it. He congratulated himself on a job well done, and allowed himself the luxury of a tiny smirk. He glanced at her, and, sure enough her eyes appeared to be permanently attached to said smirking lips.  
>The smirk broadened.<br>Apparently, it was enough to set Granger's alarms off, because she glanced at him in alarm.  
>"What?"<p>

"Whaddya mean, what?"

"I mean what are you smirking about, you little blond bastard?" She had pulled out her wand and was now pointing it in his general direction. He quickly used his hands to push it down before saying, with a not-very-innocent air, "God, Granger, why do I always have to be doing something nefarious whenever I have a normal facial expression? I haven't tried to kill anybody in years." He chuckled to himself. Hermione finally completely lowered her wand, and rolled her eyes. "Yes, because that's so comforting."

"Hey now, that wasn't even completely fair. I don't like killing people as a general rule, and I only did it for purposes that even you considered slightly appropriate."

She shrugged. He grabbed a mug and prepared himself a cup of cocoa before exiting, although not before whispering in her ear as he tugged a curl, "However, I did manage to ascertain the truths to certain rumors about your proclivities, shall we say? Interesting new kink for, what is it - blondes? In green. I personally prefer brunettes with lusciously wild hair. In red. On the floor. And with voluptuous - mmmfph!"

For 15 minutes, Harry had heard shouting. And then silence. It was a bit eerie actually. Neville was terribly engrossed in his work, rather like Hermione in that way he supposed.  
>Perhaps he had better check on Malfoy. Quietly, he opened the library door. Lupin glanced at him and stated, "They're in the kitchen. Also, I wouldn't go in there. Personally. Just saying."<p>

Harry felt a tad confused. I m just going to check on them, you know. Just see if they ve killed each other or not. Lupin snickered. "I'm not going to say anything except that if they have, it's from the _petit-morte_, Harry."

Harry looked concerned. "Hermione hasn't been experimenting with any new spells, has she?"

Remus Lupin just about died laughing before he sobered up and explained in what felt like the awkwardest conversation in his life. By the time he was done, Harry was a cringing bright red and Lupin had recommenced laughing.  
>There were times it was amusing to be a werewolf. If a bit intrusive. But then, it was hardly his fault he had super excellent hearing, was it?<p>

_A/N: And this story is now complete. :) Sorry about the months-long hiatus, my computer was definitely out of comission. I've been itching to use "petite-morte" in one of my stories, ever since I heard of that term._

_Thanks for all your reviews, loves._


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